Change Makers empowers a new generation of urban leaders.

Seedbeds runs Change Makers to bring together small groups of adults nominated from their local communities because they are seen to have the potential to become community leaders. This 5 month emerging community leaders programme  culminates with the Change Maker pitching their idea for change to a Resource Panel. Scholarships are provided to make the programmes as accessible as possible. Through Westhill’s support a new version of Change Makers will be offered at a Level III NCFE qualification in ‘Sustainable Community Leadership’. As many of our participants have no qualifications, we hope this recognised qualification could further a pathway of educational and vocational growth.

The focus of Change Makers is on growing each emerging leader’s capacity in the critical qualities of compassion, innovation and resilience, as well as building life-long connections, self-awareness and skills for change.

Participants are nominated as a small group ‘Pods’ from within their local communities ‘Local Seedbeds’ and join with others around the country to shape their ideas for change in the areas of community building, community organising and community enterprise.  

Change Makers programme is run over 4 months and includes 3 weekend residentials, 3 coaching sessions, 2 best practice site visits and a pitch of their own idea for change at the end of the programme to a resource panel and graduate. 

Change Makers is accessible, designed so participants can be part of the programme even if they work or study full time.

Participants come in pods together from your community and focus their idea for change within your community. This means that your community benefits from their growth and not just the emerging leaders themselves.

Seven cohorts of Change Makers have already grown into fullness of life in remarkable ways. This includes within the emerging leaders themselves as well as through launching their community-based initiatives.

In 2022 we successfully piloted Change Makers Scotland and Young Change Makers through the development of more ‘Local Seedbeds’.

Change Makers especially focuses on those who are:

• Urban (ie from urban priority area and be willing to join the programme in a local ‘pod’ with others from that neighbourhood).
   
• Emerging (ie, aged over 18 with high potential to make a difference)
   
• Diverse (ie, not from mainstream, establishment backgrounds, paying attention to class, race and gender access and equity challenges)
   
• Raw Talents (ie, have catalytic potential that traditional education systems will probably not bring out their best).

Could your local leaders be next?
 

For more information please see:
www.seedbeds.org/change-makers/